Want to be an App Developer? There’s a Degree for That

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Kathryn Knight Randolph

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Angry Birds. Words with Friends. Fruit Ninja. Perhaps your mobile app addiction has led to a real curiosity and passion for app development, but aside from teaching yourself, there was no way to get a legitimate education that specifically focuses on mobile apps.

Until now. Rasmussen College, which has over 21 different campuses in the U.S. and also offers online degrees, is one of the first to offer an Associate’s Degree in software application development. The two-year degree program offers courses like Foundations of Software Design, Mobile Application Development and Database Design and SQL, according to Rasmussen’s website.

In an interview with All Things Digital, Hap Aziz, director of the school’s technology and design department, said that experts are estimating 300,000 new jobs in the field of software development in the next few years.

According to the most recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, software application developers make anywhere from around $67,000 to over $105,000. Echoing Aziz’s career predictions, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 34% growth in this field.

All Things Digital reports that a few students are currently taking classes in software application development in Florida and Minnesota but more are expected to begin the degree in the fall. For now, the course curriculum is focusing on apps for the iPhone and Andriod. However, the program is expected to evolve along with the ever-changing mobile application market.

For more information on the new software application development degree, go to Rasmussen College’s website.